1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coin dispensing apparatus that separates coins loaded in bulk one by one, in to a coin dispensing apparatus that separates coins loaded in bulk one by one, conveys the separated coins to a predetermined position and discharges the coins at the predetermined position individually. More specifically, the invention relates to a coin hopper suitably used when handling a plurality of kinds of coins different at least in outer diameter.
The term “coins” used in this specification includes coins as currencies, medals for game machines, substitutes such as tokens, and equivalents thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A plurality of kinds of coins that are different in outer diameter or thickness exist, and thus various kinds of so-called size-free coin handling apparatuses capable of handling the plurality of kinds of coins (that is, a plurality of coin denominations) are proposed. For example, the Japanese Non-Examined Patent Publication No. 2014-041396 (FIGS. 3 to 15, Paragraphs 0024 to 0044) and the Japanese Non-Examined Patent Publication No. 2014-120015 (FIG. 2, FIGS. 10 to 17, Paragraphs 0022 to 0040, 0076) disclose coin dispensing apparatuses that separate coins loaded in bulk one by one and deliver the coins individually.
Known as a first related art is a coin separating and delivering device such as that disclosed in the Publication No. 2014-041396. In this coin separating and delivering apparatus, coins are separated and held one by one on an upper surface of a rotating disc disposed in an inclined state in sorting recesses opening on an upper side and on a peripheral edge side thereof, and are delivered to a coin discriminating device. The sorting recesses each include a sorting recessed groove extending from a center to an outer periphery of the rotating disc, and a peripheral side opening and an upper surface side opening defined by a moving body. The moving body is disposed in the sorting recessed groove so as to make a linear reciprocal motion between a sorting position at a bottom portion in the sorting recessed groove and a coin push-out position on the peripheral edge side of the rotating disc. The moving body includes a pushing edge facing the peripheral side opening, and forms a holding recess surrounded by a left side wall and a right side wall of the sorting recess and an arcuate restricting member that surrounds an outer periphery of the rotating disc. The holding recess is formed to allow a single coin having the largest diameter to be positioned therein but not to allow two coins having the smallest diameter to be positioned side by side when the moving body is located at the sorting position. The moving body is driven by a driving device so as to move linearly toward the coin push-out position on the peripheral edge side in a predetermined phase of the rotating disc, then stay at the coin push-out position for a predetermined period, and then move linearly to the sorting position. The driving device includes a plate-shaped cam having a ring shape and disposed on the rotating disc in a fixed manner, and a pair of cam followers positioned inside and outside of the plate-shaped cam integrally with the moving body.
According to the coin separating and delivering device disclosed in the Publication No. 2014-041396, when the rotating disc rotates in a forward rotating direction, the moving body moves linearly from the sorting position toward the coin push-out position in a predetermined phase of the rotating disc, is maintained at the coin push-out position for the predetermined period, and then moves from the coin push-out position to the sorting position. In contrast, in the same manner as the case where the rotating disc rotates in a reverse rotating direction, which is a direction opposite to the forward rotating direction, the moving body moves from the sorting position to the coin push-out position, is maintained at the coin push-out position for the predetermined period, and moves from the coin push-out position to the sorting position. In other words, the moving body moves reciprocally in a predetermined phase range of the rotating disc, in other words, in a phase where the coin is delivered from the coin separating and delivering device to the next process between the sorting position and the coin push-out position irrespective of the rotating direction of the rotating disc.
In the coin separating and delivering device disclosed in the Publication No. 2014-041396, if coin jam occurs in the next process where the coins are delivered, the rotating disc rotates reversely to return the coins from the next process to the separating and delivering device in order to resolve the coin jam. However, the moving body moves reciprocally between the sorting position and the coin push-out position in a predetermined phase range irrespective of the rotating direction of the rotating disc. Therefore, even in the process of returning the coin, a coin is pushed out from the rotating disc to the next process in association with the movement of the moving body from the sorting position toward the coin push-out position. Consequently, since the conveyance of the coin back from the next process to the rotating disc is hindered by the coin pushed out from the rotating disc, a problem that the coin jam is not resolved remains.
A second related art is a coin hopper disclosed in the Publication No. 2014-120015. This coin hopper includes a sorting panel disposed in a bottom hole of a storage chamber where coins are stored in bulk and having circular through holes formed therein. The coins are dropped down from an upside through the through holes by a rotation of the sorting panel, and pushing bodies provided on a back side of the sorting panel push coins in a direction toward a circumference of the sorting panel at a predetermined position one by one. A coin holding plate having substantially the same diameter as the sorting panel is disposed below the sorting panel at a predetermined distance therefrom. The coin holding plate is disposed coaxially with and parallel to the sorting panel to form a coin holding space. The sorting panel is also provided with passages extending toward a circumference thereof which are formed on the back side thereof, continue to the coin holding space, and extend in the direction toward the circumference of the sorting panel. The passages extending to the circumference are each defined by a front guide member positioned in front of the sorting panel and a rear guide member positioned in the rear of the sorting panel in a direction of the forward rotation. When the sorting panel rotates in the forward rotating direction, the pushing bodies are each movable at a predetermined timing between a coin push-out position located in the coin holding space right below the corresponding through hole and a waiting position located on an axis of rotation side of the sorting panel laterally of the through hole and hidden under the sorting panel. The pushing bodies each move gradually from the waiting position toward the coin push-out position, reach the coin push-out position at a position corresponding to the predetermined position, and move gradually toward the waiting position after the arrival to the coin push-out position, so that the coins are moved from the through holes toward the circumference of the sorting panel through the passages extending to the circumference thereof.
The coin hopper disclosed in the Publication No. 2014-120015 is configured to allow the pushing body to move between the waiting position and the coin push-out position at a predetermined timing when the sorting panel rotates in the forward rotating direction. Specifically, the pushing body moves from the waiting position to the coin push-out position, pushes the coin held in the coin holding space from the sorting panel, and then moves from the coin push-out position to the waiting position at a predetermined timing. In contrast, when the sorting panel rotates reversely, the pushing body is held at the waiting position in a range where the pushing body moves between the waiting position and the coin push-out position when the sorting panel rotates in the forward rotating direction. A cam is disposed under the sorting panel, and the cam followers guided by the cam are fixed to the pushing bodies. The cam includes the cam followers, a groove cam that guides the cam followers when the sorting panel rotates in the forward rotating direction, and a reverse rotation groove cam that is branched from the groove cam and guides the cam followers when the sorting panel rotates in the reverse direction. The reverse rotation groove cam has an end on a downstream side in the reverse rotating direction of the sorting panel. Accordingly, when the sorting panel is rotated reversely, the cam follower reaches the end of the reverse rotation groove cam after a predetermined time period has elapsed, and the reverse rotation of the sorting panel is hindered. Therefore, even though the sorting panel is rotated reversely in order to resolve, for example, coin jam occurred in the coin hopper or in the next process of the coin hopper, the period of the reverse rotation of the sorting panel is short, and thus the problem that the coin jam is not resolved remains.